Quick answer: No, standard body corporate fees do not include your individual council rates in New Zealand. Body corporate levies pay for the maintenance, insurance, and management of shared common property, while council rates are billed separately by the local council to the individual unit owner. Introduction One of the most common surprises for first-time […]
Category Archives: Blog
08
Jul
Jul
Healthy Homes Compliance for NZ Body Corporates While the Healthy Homes Standards apply directly to individual landlords under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, they significantly impact Body Corporates in multi-unit buildings. Landlords often cannot achieve compliance, such as installing external heat pump compressors or cutting cladding for extractor fans, without altering common property. This forces […]
25
Jun
Jun
Landlord Compliance Requirements: NZ Asset Management Guide Compliance is often framed around tenant relations, but for multi-unit property owners, the real risks lie at the macro asset level. While day-to-day tenancy issues are visible, the strategic landscape of compliance deals with structural integrity, governance frameworks and collective liability that can threaten an entire ownership group. […]
18
Jun
Jun
Asset management looks at the entire lifecycle of a property to maximise value, returns and risk performance over time. Property management focuses on day-to-day operations such as tenant relations, rent collection, routine maintenance and lease administration. Property owners typically need both: a property manager for operational stability and an asset manager for strategic growth, capital […]
10
Jun
Jun
A facilities asset management plan is a structured, long-term document that shows how a building or portfolio of assets will be operated, maintained, renewed and replaced over time to meet performance, compliance and cost targets. For New Zealand property owners, Body Corporate Managers and portfolio operators, this plan is the bridge between day-to-day maintenance and […]
04
Jun
Jun
Body corporate rules can be changed, but they must be changed properly. In New Zealand, changes usually need to be proposed by an owner or the committee, approved at a general meeting, and then registered with Land Information New Zealand before they become legally effective. For property owners, the key is to make sure any […]
14
Apr
Apr
Building inspections in New Zealand follow a compliance framework built around the Building Act 2004, the Building Code, building consents, code compliance certificates and ongoing inspections for specified systems in certain buildings. For property owners, Body Corporate Managers and portfolio operators, the real goal is not just passing one inspection – it’s building a repeatable […]
25
Mar
Mar
Body corporate management fees are regular levies paid by unit owners to fund building maintenance, insurance, administration and long-term upkeep of shared property. What Are Body Corporate Fees? Body corporate fees (also called levies) are regular payments made by unit owners to cover the maintenance, insurance, administration, and long-term upkeep of shared property in a […]
18
Mar
Mar
A strata manager is the specialist who runs the day-to-day governance, finances, maintenance and compliance for unit title and body corporate developments on behalf of all owners collectively. For a Body Corporate with 30–100+ unit schemes, a strong strata manager is essential to move from reactive fixes to long-term, data-backed stewardship that protects value, reduces […]
12
Mar
Mar
Strata management fees in New Zealand are typically calculated as a percentage of annual body corporate levies or as a fixed fee per unit, with total costs varying by building size, age and complexity rather than by location alone. For a Body Corporate Manager overseeing multiple schemes, understanding inclusions, fee structures and value drivers is […]